Wire gripping tool



May 14, 1935. L. ORUSSA I 2,001,541

WIRE GRIPPING TOOL Filed June 5, 1933 I Sheets-Sheet l llllillh p A .52 Hummus! I I I g @1685262 Jam? "gim whwyw May 14, 1935. L. ORUSSA 2,001,541

WIRE GRIPPING TOOL Filed June 5, 1955 ,2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 14, 1935 Lorence Russa; Princeville," -Ill., Mathias Klein & Sons, Chicago, TIL, a corporav tion or Illinois 7 Application June 511933, Serial No. 674,337 'z Claims. (Cl. 24-'-'-134)- invention relates generally to gripping tools, and more'particularly to tools of this type used by linemen for pulling wires andcables.

. In: certain typesofrgripping tools used by linemen'zit is sometimes difiicult to. disengage the gripping jaws from the cable oreonducton, with the-result that the lineman finds it'necessary to poundthe jaws with a hammer, resulting eventually in damaging the jaws. Furthermore, the gripping tool-is frequently clamped to a :cable in such position that it is. rather "diilicultf or :the lineman to. exert the force necessary: to-; disengagev the jaws. With the tool upon which my inventiontis an" improvement it was necessary to use-twohands in attaching the; grip to the wire orcable. This was frequently difiicult'because of the 1 position in which the lineman had-,to workat the top of the pole. v It is therefore anobjectOfmy. invention to provide. an improved gripping tool :inwhichthe above mentioned disadvantages. are .overcome.

'A. further object is to provide an improved wire gripping t ol having simple-means to latch the jaws inopen position. l V A furtherobject is toprovide an improved wire gripping {tool in whichthe jaws may be easily separated. V v

, 1 Qther 1 objects will appear from the following description; referencebeing had to the accompanyingdrawings, inwhich: 1 .Fig. 1,is a side elevation of my improved gripping "tool; illustrating how the tool may; be clamped to a cable by holding it in one hand, the jaws being shown in separated position; F ig. ;2,is a'similar view showing ,theopposite side of the gripping tool; a

Eigy3 is: a plan .view lthereofj Fig. 4 is a vertical sectionaljview takenonthe line 4-74-01 Fig. 2; (.i

, Fig. 5 is a side elevation showingthe tool in operativeposition gripping a cable; v Figufi s a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the :jaws and other parts'iin released; position Fig. l. is a fragmentary side elevation showing .a modification of myinvention;..the parts being illustratedin latched position; and

Fig. 8 is a view similar .to'. Fig]. 7 showing the parts. in the position assumed when the jaws are closed. 3 1 v v The gripping tool-of myinvention comprises a body 10 having alower jawv I 2. formed integrally therewith. .An upper jaw .l l'is pivotally eon- .neoted to a lever lliby a shouldered rivet l8, and is guided for translator'y movement relative to thelowenjaw by a shouldered. rivet 20,}.the

assignor to head- 22of which is guided in a slot.24 :for-ined n the body 10., The lever I6 is pivotally connected to the lower jaw l2. by. a shouldered rivet'26 and has its upper'end pivotallyconnected to a pair of similar links 2.8 by means of a rivet/30. Altor sion spring 32 is woundabout a pin.,34 'ri veted be; tween the links 28; H t a One end of the spring 32 abutsagainst'afstop pinfifisecured to one of .thelinks 28 andth'e other end abuts against a notch 38 formed in the up; per endof the link 16. The tor'siohsprihg} acts in a direction to'increase the angularit be tweenthe links 28 and the, lever 16 andthus to I force the jaws l2 and if-together. 'Ilheflo ends of the links v28 are pivotall'y sec'uredto ends of a clevis Ml by a headed pin qzwnmnLprQr jects through the two lendsof the clevis through a: release arm 44; andthroughan elongated, i4 6; formedfin the body 10. ,The pin. 42 in secured-in position bya cotter pin 48.

The release arm (has a pair of cars 50 iormed thereon-which engageltheclevis 40 so that the arm. in effect forms an extension vof; one; rane shanks of the clevis. A linkf52 has. one end iv o vtally connected to the release arm 44 by ariv'et 5,4.- .The link 52 has an elongated slot 56 Apro jec'tion 58 of the pin-20' extendsthrough'.the' slot .56 and isadapted to engage in a notchlill formed in the release arm 44. The forward endl oi the release arm has aninclinedsurface fillwhich aids in the engagement ofthe notch overj the projec} tion 58. The link 52 has an inclined endsl irface 64 which is adapted to. engage ,one of; the linksjll and thereby limit the swinging movementof th'e release arm 44 and'clevis 40 in a downward rection (Fig.2). a:

In using the gripping tool the operator grasps thecle'vis in one hand as shown in Fig.1 I," and pullsv rearwardly, on the' lower jaw 12 until he projection 58 engages in the notch'6ll' of the e;- lease arm 44, whereupon the parts will be latched inthe positionshown in Fig. 2.. The lineman may then reach out andatta'ch the gripping. tool to a conductor or cable, as indicatedin Eig. 1 When the jaws have been-placed about the'lwire, they may be released by swinging the 'cl'e'visuplwardly (Figs. 1 and 2) relative totheibod'y 10,

whereuponthe' hook portions of the release arm 44 will no-longer engage the projection 58; and

the spring 32 will act to move the jaws into clamping position about the wire or cable, 1 Then the rope 66 may be pulled taut by means'of block and tackle, or otherwise, to tighten the cable'or .wire. The rope 66 being attached to the clevis will tend through the actionof the links};

42 is secured to the clevis swing therewith. A link 14 tions may be made in and lever ii to force the jaws firmly into engagement with the cable or wire, the clamping pressure of the jaws increasing in proportion to the strength of the pull on the rope.

Frequentlythe jaws become so tightly clamped about the wire orcable that it is difficult to release them. This is especially true if the clamp is attached to'a wire at the top of a telephone pole. With the clamp of my invention the operation of releasing the clamp is very simple, since it is necessary merely to swing the clevis from the position shown in Fig. to the position shown in Fig. 6 in the direction of the arrows. By swinging the clevis in this direction the link 52 is pulled rearwardly and downwardly until; the end, of the slot 56 engages the projection 58. Continuance of the swinging movement of .the clevisv forces.

the links 28 upwardly and forwardly, thereby swinging the lever l6 clockwise (Figs. 5 and6)" and separating the jaws I2, l4. There is a considerablemechanical advantage in the link and lever arrangement so that the separation of the jaws requires but little physical effort.

The modification shown in Figs. '7 and 8 is quite similar to that previously described, and due to the close similarity the clamp has not been illustrated in complete detail, and for the same reason the parts which correspond to those previously described have been given the same reference characters and will not again be described in detail. j y

In Figs. '7 and 8 an'arm I0 pivoted on the pin 40 by ears 12 was to having alongitudinal slot 16 is pivoted to, the end of the arm III by a shoulderedrivet 18. A shouldered'screw 80 projects through the slot 16 and is threaded in the body In. A pin 82 is secured in the body l0 and i is adapted to engage in a notch formed adjacent the end of the link the jaws'of the gripping 14. As shown in Fig. '7, tool may be clamped in open position by engaging the pin 82 in its notch 84 thereby holding the clevis in its forward position in its slot 46; When the clevis is swung up wardly (clockwise, Figs. '7 and 8) l the arm swings the link 14 counterclockwise about a the screw 80, thereby disengaging the notch in the link 14 from the pin 82. Thereupon the spring 32 of the clamp will force the parts to the position shown in Fig. 8, clamping the jaws about a cable. The jaws may be released by swinging the clevis clockwise from the position shown in. Fig. 8, whereupon the link 14 will pull against the. screw 80 and the pivot pin '42 thereby be pulled forward, forcing'the links 28 upwardly to release jaws. While I have shown and described particular Tembodimentsof my invention it .will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that variathe constructions disclosed without departing from the basic features of my inventiom I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise construction disclosed but wish to include within the scope of my invention all such modifications and variations which will readily suggest themselves. What I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters-Patent, is:

1. In a wire gripping tool, the combination of a pair of jaws conformed to grip a wire, one of the said jaws having a slot formed therein, a lever said clevis cured in one of said jaw members, said slotted member and pin forming a lost motion stop for 7 whereby the latter when pivoted may exert a force upon said link thereby to separate said jaws. 1

. 2. In a wire grippingtool, the combination of a.

pair of jaws conformed to grip a wire, one of said.

jaws having ,aislot formed therein, a lever pivotally connected to. said jaws for moving them into and out of engagement, means to maintain said zjaws in substantial parallelism when moved relative to each other by means of said lever, a link having one end thereof piv tally secured-to said lever, a clevis, a pivot pinpivotally securing said clevis to the other end of said link and project ing through the slot formed in one of said jaws, a spring tensioned to move said jaws to closed position, and an element connected to said clevis and operated by swinging movement thereof tov cause said pivot pin to slide'in said through said linkto separate said jaws.

3. In a gripping tool, the combination of a pair of jaws for gripping a wire, a clevis pivotally and slidably connected to one ofsaid jawsfa linkage connecting said clevis and jaws whereby a pull on the clevis in the longitudinal direction of said jaws will cause clamping engagement thereof with a part to be gripped, a latch to hold said jaws in separated position, and an element connected to said clevis and operated by swinging slot and movement thereof to separate said jaws.

* 4. In a device of the class described, the combimember having one end nation of a pair of jaws conformed to grip a wire therebetween, a clevis for attachment to a rope or cable for exerting a pulling force on said jaws, said clevis having an extension, a force-multiply ing linkage connecting said clevis and said-jaws to cause the latter to grip a"wire when a pull is exerted upon the former, and a link having a pin and slot connection with'one of said jaws and pivotally connected to the extension of said clevis, said link forming a movable pivot'for said clevis when the latter is swung out of alinement with said jaws, thereby permitting application of force to said linkage to separate said jaws.

5. In a gripping tool, the combination, of a pair of jaws, means for relatively moving said jaws, an element to maintain said jaws; in substantial parallelism-when moved relative to each other by said means, aclevis pivotally connected to said means for applying aforce thereto," a spring tensioned to move said jaws to closed position, a slotted link having one end pivotally connected to said clevis, and a pin projecting through the slot in said link and secured in oneof said jaw members, said link and pin forming a lost motion stop for said clevis whereby the latter when pivoted may exert a force upon said pair of links thereby to separate said jaws.

6. In a gripping tool, the combination of a'pair of jaws, means for relatively moving said jaws, an element to maintain said jaws in substantial parallelism when moved relative to each other by said means, a clevis pivotally connected to said means for applying a force thereto, a spring tensioned to move said jaws to closed position, and an element connected to saidclevis and'op- 10 latter to grip a wire when a pull is exerted upon the former, a link having a pin and slot connection with one of said jaws and pivotally connected to said clevis, said link forming a movable pivot for said clevis when the latter is swung out of alignment with said jaws, thereby permitting application of force to said linkage to separate said jaws, and means associated with said link for latching said jaws in open position.

LORENCE ORUSSA. 

